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The sun has set on our time in China and it is time to see our OWN sunset!!!
Dad and Lilly on the paddle boat waiting for Mom to get done shopping. (I did catch up with them and was able to hop in from the bank...Lilly got a good laugh from that!)
Dad and Lilly sharing a little pizza. (We have eaten at Pizza Hut 3 times, and I must say it has been good. I need to talk to our Pizza Hut at home about adding 6 fried, big shrimp to the menu for $3)







Diane thought she found the end of the rainbow in Guangzhou




Yes, those are pearls!





We have traveled from Guangzhou to Beijing in our first leg home. We will leave the hotel at 5:45am in the morning, arrive in Tokyo at 12:45pm, leave Tokyo at 7:00pm, (won't that 6 hours and 15 minutes be fun!) arrive in Dallas 3:25pm Friday afternoon, clear customs and immigration, leave Dallas 7:00pm and arrive Amarillo 8:15pm Friday evening.
It has truly been a journey, we started out thinking we were going to need the 2 weeks with Lilly to prepare her for coming home, I am second guessing now because we may have been needing home to get prepared for Lilly! We are anxious to see everyone when we get back, and I am not sure who is more excited about seeing Haley, Macey and Emily - Mom and I , or Lilly.
We have a completely different view of China (and the USA for that matter), after being able to spend time here. We have also met many great people from the US adopting children. Diane is chomping at the bit, looking over my shoulder so I will let her add a few closing comments.

My turn-
We have had a super time in China and thus far all has gone well...
But it is time to move on. I knew I would miss the girls, but I did not realize just how much!
I also knew that this time with Lilly would be needed for bonding and I hope that is what has happened, but since she is so cheerful, bouncy and mischievious it is hard to tell just how far we have come and how far we have to go. She can get mad at either of us, but she always goes to the other for comfort. She reaches for our hand and has been giving lots of unsolicited (or bribed) kisses. On the other hand, she keeps asking about her jies jies (sisters) by name and I am sure is wondering why she has not gotten to meet them yet. I also tend to wonder if she feels she was adopted by a nomadic family that only travels from one hotel to the other. We caught ourselves saying we needed to go home after dinner last night! Jay and I keep reminding each other of all the things she needs to learn from seeing us in our home; how we react to the girls, how the girls can show her how to PLAY, how we each need to respect each each other, and so on. These are the things that can only be taught by example. Hmmmm...isn't that what we are taught all through God's word?
I have been following a blog of another family that adopted an older child and she has put into words so much of what I catch myself thinking lately. One of the posts was about the "firsts" that we often don't think of until now. We remember the first steps, first words, and all of the other milestones, but we don't always recognize the firsts that we are experiencing now with Lilly...the first time she said her sisters names, her experience with static electricity, the first time she felt comfortable wearing the new shoes wew bought her rather than the pair she came to us in. These are the little things that may not seem significant to some, but to others these are the "milestones."
Maybe in a way that is what we see in the Bible. Jesus performed many miracles that stood out, but at the same time He pointed out acts that may not have seemed significant to others, such as the woman giving her only coin (all that she had). Many of us (Jay and I) try to remember to teach by example by going to church, giving each Sunday, not swearing, and other "biggies." But, it is usually the kids that teach us much more often by their words and actions on a daily basis. It is because of their words that the a fire was lit to get us going with the adoption. All it took was them asking, "Why don't we adopt?" Needless, to say Jay and I did not have a single reason not to, that plus the fact that the 3 daughters we already had had made parenting seem easy (their doing, not ours), so why not?
I am most thankful that we did, I now can't imagine missing out on our newest blessing!
Love to all and thanks for the continuous thoughts and prayers!